Coq Au Vin Blanc - The "Quickie" Version

 Adapted from a recipe found on Olive & Mango.

This recipe bucks the tradition of a rather lengthy process in making any classic Coq Au Vin. The reality is that sometimes we just don't have four hours to prepare one of the traditional versions of the dish. 

This recipe, though, is full of the right flavors and textures, though, and will absolutely delight any foodie flavor palette. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4-6 chicken thighs - bone-in & skin on 
• salt & pepper to taste
•  Wondra flour as needed to coat chicken
• olive oil as needed
• 4-5 slices center cut bacon - cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 small shallots or one large onion - chopped
• 3-4 cloves of garlic - chopped
• 8 ounces sliced baby portobello
• 2 small carrots peeled and sliced thin for easier cooking
• 2 small celery stalks - sliced
• 1.5 cups white wine - your call... I like Pinot Grigio
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• fresh parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Start with prepping all ingredients as there are quite a few of them and they will be used in fairly quick succession once the cook begins.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly coat both sides with Wondra flour and set aside.

Heat a large skillet or large Dutch oven with a touch of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until almost crisp, 2 to 3 min. Feel free to drain off some of rendered bacon fat BUT ensure there are at least 2 tbsp left in the pan to sauté the veggies and brown the chicken. Add olive oil if needed.

Add mushrooms, celery, carrots, garlic and onion/shallots and continue cooking, stirring often, until bacon is crisp and mushrooms are browned... about 10 min.

Remove the vegetables and bacon and set aside, covered. Then add chicken, skin side down, to the Dutch oven and cook until deeply golden, about 4-5 min per side.

Once chicken is done searing, add the wine, thyme, rosemary. Return veggies to the pot in between the thighs... then blend everything so that the veggies are evenly dispersed around the chicken.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is cooked through and mixture has reduced and is saucy, 15 to 20 min.

Transfer chicken to a covered serving platter before adding the cream. Blend veggies with the cream and simmer until mixture is slightly thickened, about 3-5 min. Add a sprinkle of Wondra for your preferred consistency if needed.

Pour vegetables and sauce mostly around the chicken when serving to retain most of the skin crisp and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with pearl barley cooked in chicken stock or a whole grain wild rice.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

BBQ Lamb Chops & (OMG) Frozen Veggies

Ok foodies.... not every meal has to be a show stopper. Quite often we are pressed for time or just aren't interested in a lot of prep. Most of the time I prefer fresh veggies, but yanno... there are days when frozen ones are just going to be on the menu. Nothing to be ashamed of... as long as you treat them with respect :-)

Ingredients:

• 2 shoulder lamb chops
• 1 16 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables
• garlic powder
• salt & pepper

Preparation:

Remove lamb chops from fridge one hour before cooking. Sprinkle both sides with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Fire up the BBQ to a medium high heat. My gas Weber on medium cooks lambchops medium rare via 3 minutes first side and 2 minutes more after the flip. Perfect every time and I never have to check. Make notes on your own grill's performance and follow your guidelines so you don't have to keep opening the lid.

Time your veggies to your grill. Perfect meat is paramount, so in my case I start the veggies while the grill is warming up. I like to cook them with just a touch of water in my Guardian Service to retain nutrients. Try to stay away from cooking veggies in a microwave... those thing mess with molecular structure of food. Be sure you don't overcook the veggies, please. Keep them nice and crisp... it adds to the food "experience"... grins.

Hey... just because this one is simple doesn't mean we can slack on quality... :-) Serve with a green salad with a homemade vinaigrette and you're set.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Eggplant Parmesan Cakes

Experimenting with eggplant is always fun. After catching a glimpse of a Tik-Tok video I tried my hand at making something different. I'm calling these Eggplant Parmesan Cakes because the method creates individual servings that look more like a layer cake than a traditional tray of eggplant parmesan. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplant - cut into 12 slices total lengthwise
• 3/4 lb lean ground beef
• olive oil as needed
• 1 yellow onion - chopped
• 2 cloves garlic - minced and left alone for 10-15 min before cooking for best flavor
• 2 medium tomatoes - diced
• garlic powder, oregano, salt & pepper, fresh chopped basil to taste for filling
• enough shredded mozzarella to make you smile

Preparation:

After washing/drying the eggplant, remove the top and then make ~3/8" slices lengthwise. Best cutting is done by standing the eggplant on the cut surface where top was removed and slicing downward while watching your knife from the top.

After slicing the eggplant, sprinkle with coarse salt and let the slices sit for 10-15 minutes. This helps release excess moisture from the eggplant. I do this right on my cleaned countertop because 12 slices take up a lot of room. Use paper towels to pat the eggplant dry, wiping off any extra salt as well.

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly brush slices with olive oil. Arrange the eggplant slices on sheet pans brushed with olive oil. Bake for ~15-20 minutes until lightly browned but still firm. While eggplant is baking, make the filling.

Fry the ground beef in a tbsp of olive oil and set aside. 

In the same skillet add another tbsp olive oil and saute onion & garlic. 

Add tomatoes and simmer until until cooked down and slightly thickened. 

Season to your liking and then add ground beef back. Blend well and keep warm.

Assembly: The size of your original eggplant will determine how many "cakes" you make. Ideally you will need four slices per cake. Place bottom layers in a sheet pan and add filling.

Next slice gets filling and a layer of cheese. Third layer just filling and final fourth layer just cheese. 

Bake at 350F for about 15 min until top cheese is melted and golden brown. If needed, switch to broil for a couple minutes to get the desired color. 

Garnish with fresh Italian parsley and add grated parmesan if you like.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Salmon and Cherry Tomato Curry

 Credit for this lightly adapted recipe goes to Recipes by Veronica.

Salmon, tomatoes and fresh spinach in a delicious curry... Need I say more? Enjoy!

I learned something new with this dish... Apparently a "Curry" does not necessarily contain curry powder, as long as you use the right ingredients that create the flavor palette of a Curry. :-)

For the Curry:

• 4 60z salmon filets - skinless for best texture
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic - minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger - minced (powder is an option)
• 1/2 - 1 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper - adjust to your heat level
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (ground is an option)
• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 can coconut milk use full - fat for richness
• 2 cups fresh spinach - stems removed
  

For Serving:

• 1-2 cups pearl barley cooked in chicken broth 
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs mint, basil, cilantro for garnish

Preparation:

Season your salmon fillets generously with salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the minced garlic & ginger in the skillet for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Toast the cumin seeds in the same pan for about 15 seconds until aromatic.

Add the cherry tomatoes, ground coriander, Aleppo pepper and ground turmeric. Stir to combine.

Stir in the coconut milk and season with salt. Cook uncovered for 6-8 minutes.

Add the fresh spinach and gently place the seasoned salmon fillets into the simmering curry. Cover and simmer for 4-7 minutes until salmon is cooked through.

Serve the curry over cooked barley, garnished with fresh herbs of your choosing. Sauteed zucchini pairs very nicely with this dish.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!